Friends and strangers are rallying around the family of a Newark, Dela., boy who was suspended for bringing a camping utensil that contained a fork, spoon and knife to school.

Zachary Christie, 6, intended to use the utensil to eat his pudding in the lunchroom of Downes Elementary in Newark. Instead, he was suspended for violating a policy that forbids students from bringing "dangerous instruments" to school.

As a result, he may be forced to attend a school for children with behavior issues for 45 days for the offense.

While many consider that a ridiculous punishment, a Florida mother and her boyfriend are facing criminal charges this week for the decades-old practice of washing a child's mouth out with soap for using a dirty word.

The couple was arrested after an 8-year-old girl received medical treatment for an allergic reaction to soap. Wilfredo Rivera, 41, and Adriyanna Herdener, 32, allegedly forced her daughter to chew on soap for 10 minutes after she used an expletive, according to an article in Florida Today.The soap caused the girl's mouth and throat to swell so the couple took her to the hospital, where staff notified police, according to a spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department.

The pair was arrested Friday and faces charges of neglect of a child and child abuse.

Back in Delaware, friends and family of Zachary are trying to make the Christina School District see that its harsh actions are having a negative impact on the youngster's well-being.

They have created a Web site, www.helpzachary.com, and appeared on television talk shows, including ABC's "Good Morning America," to draw attention to the district's "zero tolerance" policy, which treats Zachary's camping silverware as a weapon. They also are urging the community to attend a school board meeting this evening. Their goal is to have 10,000 people attend the meeting, according to the Web site.

Already more than 25,000 people have signed a petition supporting Zachary, his aunt, Nancy Imbalzano, told ParentDish.

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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)

Before you comment on the Florida couple, read the article from Florida Today, because this article has left out a few details, including the fact that the lady's boyfriend made the girl "Eat" soap, not "Chew" as this article says, and while her throat did swell up, the couple did not give her immediate medical attention. They waited a long while before taking her to the hospital, and then when the police came to inspect the home, they found the girl wheezing with a swollen lip-- that's why they were arrested for child neglect, not for making her eat soap. That being said, I think making your kid wash their mouth out with soap is a perfectly acceptable punishment (as long as you know your kid isn't allergic. I would say if you're going to do this, use natural or organic soap). That being said, I bet this little girl will never say another swear word.

As for the little boy and his knife, (which, if you read that complete article, sounds like just an honest mistake made by an overzealous 6 year old) I'm really conflicted about that. I think the punishment should fit the crime, and I do believe in zero tolerance when it comes to weapons, but I think intent should have a lot to do with it. I mean, if the kid says he just brought it to eat food with, the school should just say, okay, well, that's not allowed (because really, what 6 year old understands what zero tolerance means), you're suspended for three days. I do think making him go to a school for behavioral problems is a bit excessive, but you know what, I bet now his mom will check his backpack for things that could be considered weapons from not on.

When I was young I had a handful of Laundry Detergent shoved in my mouth for cursing. As I look back, I can't believe my mother did that. Punishment shouldn't make one sick or hurt. There are more civilized ways to teach a child a lesson and whether or not you use organic soap...IT'S WRONG.

I watched the full story on the Today Show website. Obviously this was poor judgment on the part of the school. This should have been even less than a warning because the boy wasn't aware he couldn't use the fork and spoon part of the knife at school. They should have taken it from him, explained that it could be dangerous and had the parents pick it up. The end.

I particularly like the part on the Today Show where the host is showing the knife, fork and spoon and Zachary adds that it has a bottle opener also. Clearly he doesn't think of it as a weapon.

Making the child chew soap for 10 minutes seems a bit excessive. But if the parents of our generation had been charged with neglect for washing our mouths out with soap, we'd have all grown up in foster care. I can remember a NEIGHBOR doing that to me when I swore as a kid.

As for the 6 year old with the "weapon" - I have no words to comment on that type of zero-tolerance stupidity.

TheTalkies

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